Bicycle.



Patented SepL IZ, I899. T. w. mxon.

B l C YC L E.

(Application filed Apr. 9, 1897.

(No Model.)

l qhtmaoaeo UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS IVILLIAM DIXON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,807, datedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed April 9, 1897 Serial No. 631,434. (No mode1.l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WILLIAM DIXON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention'relates to certain new and useful improvements in bicycles,though the same will be found desirable when applied to various kinds ofvehicles.

The details of my invention will be clearly set forth in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, made a parthereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycleframe, partlyin section. Fig. 2 is a detail showing preferred manner of extendingairpipe around part of the frame for the purpose of communicating withthe handle-bars. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a preferred form ofwhistle and valve therefor. trates one form of base designed to receivethe lower end of the seat-post. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, on anenlarged scale, of a pre-' ferred form of piston for the lower end ofthe seat-post. Fig. 6 shows bylongitudinal central section preferredmeans for providing a' spring-support for the seat-post. Fig. 7 shows inside elevation a preferred means for attaching and mounting the whistlein position upon the handle-bar. Fig. 8 illustrates the connectionbetween the whistle and the airconveying tube. Fig. 9 is a detailperspective view of the cap employed for receiving the upper end of theseat-post.

Briefly described, it may be stated that the essential feature of valueof my invention consists in providing means which will enable the riderto utilize the upward-and-downward movement of the seat uponitsspring-support to force air under pressure into one of the pipes or asection thereof designed to form a reservoir and to further providingmeans which will render it possible that such stored air may be utilizedto blow the whistle or to fill the tires.

Reference to the various details of the drawin gs will be made byfigures, the same figure Fig. 4 illusbeing employed to designate thesame part throughout the Views.

It will be understood thatmyinvention may be readily applied as anattachment to the bicycle as now constructed by making slightalterations in the frame thereof.

In carrying out myinvention I provide the seat-post 1, which may besquare, round, or other form in cross-section, as preferred. Saidseat-post is substantially of the usual construction, except that thelower end or anchoring-section 2 thereof isv of a greater than the usuallength, said section being designed to be received by the uprightsection 3 of the frame and to have a free longitudinal reciprocationtherein. In order that said post may be held within the central part ofthe section 3, I provide the threaded cap 4, having a central aperturetherein corresponding in shape with and designed to snugly receive thecontiguous part of the post and permit the same to have play therein,the aperture of cap 4 being sufficiently large to admit air to thecompressor.

The lower end of the section 2 has attached thereto the base-plate 5,which is preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig. 4, though it willbe understood that a simple disk having a sufficient number ofperforations may be employed for such purpose. I prefer to form upon theupper surface of the base thus provided the seat 6 of sufficient size tosecurely hold the end of the post in operative combination with thebase. Near the end of the post I rigidly secure the head or piston 7,(more clearly shown in Fig. 5;) or the head may be perforatedsufficiently to permit the air to gradually pass through the same; butthe perforations are not large enough to allow the air to escape on asudden downward impulse being given to the post by the weight of therider. In the present instance the head or piston 7 is perforated andhas more or less the action of a valve. At a point upon the post 2 wherethe piston 7 is secured I form the groove 7 which provides a restrictedpassage to permit the slow ingress of the air into the chamber below thepiston, thereby permitting the post 2 to be elevated by the action ofthe spring 10 after being depressed. Said piston consists of the centralmetallic portion 8, having a peripheral groove designed to receive a'rubber or other form of cushion 9, the latter being designed to snuglyfit within the sec tion 3.

In the lower portion of the section 3 I 10- cate the spring 10, and uponthe upper end thereof the base 5 is designed to bear, thus placing thepost and saddle mounted thereon in communication with said spring.

The lower portion of the tubular section 3 communicates by duct 11 wit-hthe reservoir 12, the end of said duct communicating with said reservoirbeing provided with a suitable valve, as.12, which will prevent therecession of air after once being conveyed into the reservoir. Thereservoir, it will be seen, is improvised from a part of the frame, theupper end thereof being completely closed or cutofi from the contiguoussection of the frame and designed to convey the air from the reservoirto the whistle.

Mounted near the handle-bars is the tube 13, the tubular ring 14, theupwardly-extending section 15, and the elbow 16, the latter beingdesigned to enter the central section of the handle-bar and communicate,by means of the flexible tube 17, with the whistle 18.

I prefer to construct the whistle substantially as shown in Fig. 3, thesame consisting of the body 19 and the receiving-orifice 20, the latterhaving direct connection with the outer end of the flexible tube 17. Thebody 19 may be attached to the handle-bar at any preferred point bymeans of the clamp 21, as shown in Fig. 7, said clamp being providedwith a set-screw, if deemed necessary to reinforce its grasping power.It will be seen that the clamp 21 merely consists of a piece of springmetal bent upon itself to form sub stantially the letter U, by means ofwhich the resiliency of the spring may ordinarily be depended upon tobind it in its adjusted position.

Within the body 19 I provide the valve-seat 22, having theoutwardly-tapered central bore, as shown, and within said bore I mountthe plunger 23, having the operating-stem 2d and the controlling-lever25. It will be observed that said plunger is normally held in a closedposition by the spring 26 and that when it is desired to open the valvesuch result will follow a proper manipulation of the lever 25, whichwill force said plunger inward, and thus permit the escape of the air,which will pass through the perforated disk 27 into cooperation with thereed 28.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modification in the constructionnecessary to utilize the upward-and-downward movement of the seatpostfor the purpose specified.

It will be observed by referring to Fig. 6 that I locate in the section3 the internal radial flange or collar 29, and designed to reciprocatewithin said section or that portion of it immediately below said flangeI locate the piston 30, which consists of a disk having a minuteperforation 31. It will be understood that the perforation 31 is to bevery small indeed in order that the.air below the piston cannot escapethrough it excepting very slowly, thus enabling the piston to utilizethe air as a cushion until it all escapes backward to rest upon thecentral portion of the piston or disk 30, and by this arrangement ofparts it will be seen that the resiliency of the springs 32 and 33 areboth utilized to give the proper mounting to the saddle. While thespring 32 will normally hold the piston 30 in contact with the lower endof the seat-post, I have for the purpose of illustration shown saidpiston slightly below the end of said post. As stated, both springs maybe used to sup port the weight of the rider; but, if desired, the upperspring may be of sufficient strength to support such weight, in whichcase the function of the lower spring 32 will be merely to elevate thepiston 30 into its normal position ready for further cooperation withthe seat-post after said piston 'has been forced downward by said post.It will therefore be apparent that the upward-and -downward movement ofthe seat incident to the use of the machine will impart a more orlessrapid downward-and-upward movement to the pistons 30 and 7, by meansof which air will be forced into the reservoir 12 and its recessionprevented by the valve 12.

Believing that the advantages, operation, and construction of myinvention are made fully apparent from the foregoing specification andthe accompanying drawings, I will dispense with further reference to thedetails thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In cycle-frames, atubular-upright section provided with a seat-post central therein, apiston near the lower end thereof, having a restricted passagetherethrough, a base-plate having a socket on its upper end into whichthe seat-post fits, said plate having openings, a spring adapted toreturn said post when the same is depressed, and a reservoir forcompressed air connected with said tubular section, all combined as setforth.

2. As an improvement in cycle-frames, the herein-described air-pumpconsisting of a seatpost having a piston secured near the lower endthereof, a perforated disk secured to the lower end of the seat-post, aspringbearing against said disk and supporting the seatpost, a reservoirfor compressed air, a conveying-duct connecting the pump and the reservoir and means for preventing the recession of the air stored in saidreservoir, all combined as set forth.

3. As an improvement in cycle-frames, the herein-described air-pumpconsisting of a seatpost having a piston near the lower end thereof andaperforated disk at its lower end, a spring supporting the seat-post, acompressed-air reservoir, a conveying-duct connecting the pump and thereservoir and a flexible tube connecting the latter with a whistle, allcomhined as set forth.

4. In cycle-frames, aseat-post having a perforated piston near its lowerend, a spring located below the piston and designed to support theseat-post, a reservoir for compressed air, an air-conveying duct leadinginto said

